Page 115 of Pity Party

“I’ll do that.” There’s a tremor in Beth’s voice. “Thank you both for everything.”

Sammy leans down and kisses her mother’s cheek before turning around and leaving the room. Beth looks like she’s barely keeping herself together.

“Our daughter is beautiful,” she finally says.

“Yes, she is,” I tell her. “But her life hasn’t been easy, so if you’re serious about wanting a place in it, you’re going to have some hard work ahead of you.”

“I’m prepared to jump through any hoops either of you have for me.”

“We’ll see …” It’s not like I’m planning on making things difficult, but I’m sure not going to let her off the hook and welcome her back into the family she almost obliterated. Not without a great deal of trust-building effort on her part. “Goodbye, Beth,” I tell her before walking out of the room.

I don’t have the slightest urge to hug her or touch her in any way. There’s only one woman on my mind and she’s currently sitting out in the waiting room. I don’t know what the future holds for me and Melissa, but I know in my soul that she’s the woman I want a future with. I just need to see if she’s willing to give me another chance.

CHAPTERFORTY-THREE

MELISSA

The week after getting back from Chicago passes like taking a spin in a blender. It’s fast, furious, and borderline painful. I haven’t seen Jamie since he dropped me off at my apartment on Sunday night. I have seen Sammy a few times though. She came into the shop after school on her first day to report that she loved everything about Elk Lake Junior High School. She stopped in again on Wednesday and Thursday, but not today because she’s going home with Regan to have a sleepover.

Even though we decided she’d only work on Saturdays during the school year, I’m glad she’s still making a point to keep me in the loop. Which is more than Jamie’s doing. I had hoped that after our trip to Chicago we’d finally talk and maybe even change the parameters of our relationship. But it seems my biggest fear has become a reality. He doesn’t want anything more than friendship with me, and even that doesn’t look very promising. Friends actually call each other.

True to her word, my mom booked herself the mother of all vacations. Here I thought she'd go to a spa in Chicago for a few days, but instead, she’s going to Spain. When I asked her why, she said because she’s always wanted to go there and this way if she decides to extend her trip and not come home, she’ll be in a place she wants to explore.

Not come home?What has happened to Margie? Clearly, she’s ready to do some soul searching, which both excites and terrifies me.

I’ve got an hour left at work when my phone pings. I look at the screen and see that Paige just texted.

Midwestern Matchmaker will be in town tomorrow! They’ll come into your shop at two to interview you. Yay!!! I’ll call you tonight and we can decide what you should wear.

I’m not nearly as excited as she is, but I suppose I’ll still meet with them. My mind has been so focused on all things Jamie that I haven’t even been looking on Catch.com for anyone of interest.

After closing up for the day, I stop at the grocery store to pick up something for supper. I run into Tim in the freezer aisle. “Hey,” I call out. “No big plans tonight?” I texted him after my mom threw wine at him. I apologized on her behalf but haven’t heard from him since.

His shoulders are slumped, and he looks more than a bit disheveled. “Nope.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” I tease.

“I’m not currently dating anyone,” he says.

“What? Why not? Dating is your sport.”

He shakes his head while pulling out a stack of frozen meals from the freezer. “I broke up with everyone.”

“Why? I thought you were going to give the last girl a shot.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “My heart wasn’t in it.” Once he places his meals in his cart, he adds, “I just read this book about mourning. It suggests you give yourself a solid year after a marriage ends before considering getting involved in another serious relationship.”

“How long did you give yourself before starting to date here?” We never covered this topic when we were seeing each other.

“Two months. So, not a long time.” He says, “I even deactivated my Catch profile.”

“I’ve been thinking about doing that, too,” I tell him. I haven’t looked at it all week.

“Are things working out between you and Jamie?”

“Ah, no. I don’t think so. But I’m thinking about going onMidwestern Matchmakerwith Paige. Maybe you should check that out. They’ll be in town tomorrow. I could try to hook you up with the producer.”

He rolls his eyes. “The last thing I need is for the whole world to watch me wipe out on the dating scene.”

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